History

The Mill Creek Hotshots are a 20 person, Region 5, California Hotshot Crew. The crew has a history that dates back to 1975. At that time the crew was established at the Mill Creek Ranger Station on the San Gorgonio Ranger District of the San Bernardino National Forest. The Mill Creek Hotshots started up in 1975 under Superintendent Mike Goldenbee. George Motschall became the next Superintendent in 1981 and he ran the crew for the the next two years. Mill Creek became the victims of budget cuts and disappeared at the end of the 1982 fire season along with several Southern California Hotshot Crews from the Cleveland and Angeles National Forests.

The Mill Creek Hotshots were resurrected in 2002 as part of a dramatic build up of fire suppression resources in California with increases of the federal fire management budget. Pete Coy was hired as Superintendent and guided the Crew in attaining their Hotshot status in 2003. Pete Coy retired in June 2012 and was succeeded by John Ellison who is still in place as Superintendent. The crew is stationed at the Mill Creek Visitor Center on the (now) Front Country District and still uses the same facilities as the original Mill Creek Hotshots three decades prior. The crew continues to serve in the tradition of the Mill Creek Hotshots of years past and the California Hotshot Community.